Judy Kramer
County Reporter
Summer break will be here soon, and children who depend on free lunches at school will need community help to keep them from being hungry during June, July, and August. The Salvation Army in Warsaw raised funds to feed 455 different children last summer over a 10-week period and are beginning a 2023 fundraising effort to be able to provide children five meals a week at various pick-up sites (to be announced.)
“Last year the whole county stepped up in support, donating time and money to make sure no child went hungry,” said Linda Price, local Chairperson of The Salvation Army. “We plan to offer five meals every Thursday in the form of chicken nuggets, pizza, corndogs, Hot Pockets, and sandwiches or similar items. There will also be fruit, vegetables, milk, snacks, and breakfast items. Last year we had pick up sites in Warsaw, Lincoln, Cole Camp and Edwards, and are considering adding Ionia and Fristoe this year.”
Price said that this could only be accomplished with the help of the community. She said that funds raised by Salvation Army bell ringing will not be used for this program because of local need for other assistance, and she is hoping for donations that can be mailed to “The Salvation Army of Warsaw, Benton County, PO Box 1432, Warsaw, MO 65355,” or dropped off at the office located at 1623 Commercial Street in Warsaw. The office is open Monday through Wednesday from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. Checks should indicate “Kids Meals” on the memo line. Other fundraiser events are also being planned.
Teresa (Terri) Piersee-Watson, the Welfare Secretary with the local Salvation Army Office, orders the food for summer meals on top of her regular duties of assisting clients with their needs. She said that hunger carries physical pain and the emotional pain of food insecurity, but that free summer meals take some of the pressure off both parents and kids.
“We don’t want any child to go to bed hungry,” said Piersee-Watson. “It’s special when you see the kids come through the drive through line. They are excited sometimes, even when they get something that many of us take for granted. It is like they are getting Christmas presents. They are happy when they get snacks too and one little girl cried when she got strawberry milk.”
Price restarted the Service Unit Extension in 2019. Piersee-Watson began working with Price in 2020 and she brought much experience from her previous work with The Salvation Army in Kansas.
www.fns.usda.gov reports that an estimated 14 percent of American households are food insecure – which means about 15.3 million children are living in food insecure households. About 22.1 million children and teens receive free and reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program. But only about one in six of those (approximately 3.8 million) participate in the summer meal programs.
